Rail-joint.



Patented December 15, 1903.

Patent @trrcr.

WALTER LARKIN, OF HIAWATHA, KANSAS.

RAIL JOlNT.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,076, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed July 15, 1903. Serial No. 165,602. Lllo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER LARKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hiawatha, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, the object in view being to provide a simple, cheap, and effective rail-joint by means of which the meeting ends of the rails are not only firmly secured together while allowing for expansion and contraction, but the rail ends are so engaged by the splice-bars or fish-plates that the joint as a whole is prevented from breaking downward and the rails held at all times exactly on a level and in longitudinal alinement with each other.

With the above general objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. tion through the joint. Fig. 4 is a detail per spective view of one of the rail ends. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of'the fish-plates or splice-bars separated to illustrate the means by which they interlock with each other and with the rail ends.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlugs.

Referring to the drawings,1 and 2 designate the meeting ends of a pair of rails which for,

the purpose of carrying out the present invention are each provided with a rectangular notch or recess 3, said recess being formed in the extreme edge of the web of the rail and extending from the head 4 downward toward the base 5, but terminating above the base of the rail, as clearly shown. When the meeting ends of the two rails are brought into proximity to each other,a substantially square or rectangular opening is thus left extending transversely through the webs to receive the coupling-lug of the fish-plates or splice-bars, hereinafter described.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal see In forming the rail-joint resort is had to two splice-bars or fish-plates b and 7. Each of said bars or plates is of sufficient length to extend across the meeting ends of the rails, and said plates are provided adjacent to their ends with holes to receive bolts 8, which also pass through elongated apertures in the webs of the rails. Each plate or bar comprises an upright portion which extends from the head 4 to the base 5 of the rail, and also with the outwardly-projecting base-flange 9, which rests against the upper side of the base of the rail, as shown. About centrally the bar or plate 6 is provided upon its inner side with a laterally-projecting coupling-lug l0, substantially square or rectangular in cross-section, and it will be noticed that said lug'is arranged flush with the upper edge of the fish-plate or splice-bar 6, extending from said upper edge downward and terminating above the bottom edge of the fish-plate, as shown, so that the ends of the heads of both rails rest directly upon and are supported directly by said coupling-lug 10. It will be seen that by this arrangement of having the coupling-lug directly support the head of the railthe strength of the joint is greatly enhanced, as a greater surface is presented to receive the pounding of the rails.

The oppositely-located fish-plate or bar 7 is provided in its inner side with a facial recess or socket llv of just sufficient size to receive the coupling-lug 10 when the two plates are bolted against the opposite sides of the railweb, as shown in Fig. 3. The recesses 3 in the rail ends are made of such size that when brought together they will form an opening which is slightly larger lengthwise of the rails than the coupling-lug 10, thereby allowing for the necessary expansion and contraction of the rails. Vertically, however, the recesses 3 are just sufficient to receive the coupling-lug 10 and form a tight union and lit therewith, the object being to prevent any relative vertical movement between the rail ends, and thereby preventing the depression of the extremities of the rails and the tendency of the joint to break downward under the weight of the cars. It is to be noticed that the upper end of the recess or socket is open, thereby permitting an oscillating movement of the meeting ends of the rails, which, if restricted,

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and forming a direct support for the heads of the rail ends.

2. A rail-joint comprising rail ends having their webs provided with complemental recesses extending from the head of the rail downward and terminating above the base of the rail, and a pair of fish-plates or. splicebars bolted to opposite sides of the rail ends one of such plates being provided with arectangular couplinglug projecting laterally from the inner face thereof and extending from the upper edge of the same downward but terminating above the bottom of the fishplate, the other plate being provided in its inner face with a socket to receive the coupling-lug, the upper edge of said socket being open, said coupling lug passing entirely through the recess in the rail ends and forming a direct support for the heads of the rail ends, substantially as described.

3. A rail-joint comprising a pair of rail ends, the webs of which are recessed to form a trans.

remove verse opening and a pair of fish-plates bolted to opposite sides of the rail-webs, one of said plates being provided with a coupling-lug and the other plate being provided with a socket to receive said lug, the upper edge of said socket being open, said lug passing entirely through the openingin the rail ends and forming a direct support for the heads of the rail ends.

4. A rail-joint comprising rail ends having .their webs provided with complemental recesses extending from the head of the rail downward and terminating above the base of the rail, said rail ends being provided with elongated apertures, and a pair of fish-plates bolted to opposite sides of the rail ends through the elongated apertures therein, one of such plates being provided with a rectangular coupling-lug projecting laterally from the inner face thereof and extending from the upper edge of the same downward but terminating above the bottom of the fish-plate, the other plate being provided in its inner face with a socket to receive the coupling-lug, the upper edge of said socket being open, said coupling-lug passing entirely through the recess in the rail ends and forming a direct support for the heads of the rail ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER LARKIN. Witnesses:

H. W. GASKILL, WM. KNABB. 

